many little difficulties that the ignorance or prejudices of his neighbours would have fuggefted. His remarks on the culture of these plants, though they will afford little information to the farmers in this ifland, difcover much acuteness, and may be of great ufe to thofe to whom they are addreffed. His experiments, in particular, are related with an accuracy and fcrupulous fidelity, that is highly praife-worthy. We therefore warmly recommend this treatife to the attention of the country-gentlemen in Ireland, and moft heartily join with its Author in the following truly patriotic prayer:

As far,' fays he, as appears confiftent with the national fafety and profperity, I moft fincerely with all diftinctions on account of religious opinions may for ever ceafe; and may univerfal benevolence, and that true fpirit of patriotifm, which defires to improve and perfect the agriculture, as well as the arts and manufactures, of this nation, influence, guide, and direct the nobility and gentry, to the eftablishment of commercial and agricultural focieties; or to the adoption of fuch meafures, as to their fuperior wifdom and penetration may appear best calculated to promote thefe important ends.'

MONTHLY

CATALOGUE,

For JANUARY, 1788.

POLITICAL,

Art. 21. Political Obfervations on the Prefent State of Europe, relative to the recent Affairs in Holland, the prefent Commotions in France, and the Disputes between the Emprefs of Ruffia and the Turks; in which is impartially pourtrayed, the Characters of feveral Royal Heads of Europe. 8vo. Is. 6d. Baldwin. 1787.

OMETHING about Holland, France, England, Ruffia, Germany, the captivating Catherine, the cautious Jofeph, and all that, as Bayes would have it. The Author fays, My firft object, however, will be to take notice of the happy event that has lately taken place in respect to the affairs of Holland. The part more particularly, that has occupied the attention of France; the civil commotions that at this moment rack the joints of that monarchial fabric, and the principle that Great Britain at fo dangerous a period fhould fupport, fo as to preferve, or rather augment, her own refpectability in the feale of nations; reftoring her to her former grandeur, honor, and commercial profperity which at this moment, however ponderous her encumbrances are, in confequence of a long, and unfortunate difpute with her American colonies, and for which he is peculiarly indebted to her at prefent appellated Gallic friends; it is in her power to augment fo far beyond any former period of commercial profperity, as to enfure a fuccefsful iffue out of all her difficulties.'

The whole pamphlet is written in a ftyle fimilar to the foregoing involved, perplexed, and obfcure paragraph; and confifts, chiefly, of an imperfect account of the ftate of affairs in different parts of Europe.

The

The characters which is impartially pourtrayed,' furnish us with an invective against the French Queen; an account of the occultnefs in the Emperor's actions that cannot be fathomed;' and the ambition of the Emprefs of Ruffia.'

Art. 22. A Letter to the Minority in the House of Commons who voted on the 24th of April 1787, in favour of a Motion for a Repeal of the Shop-tax. 8vo. I s. Debrett. 1787.

This fhop-keeper, for fo the Letter before us is figned, expreffes his gratitude to the Members of the Houfe of Commons who voted for a repeal of the fhop-tax; and advances many arguments to prove that the tax is partial and oppreffive:- An impoft on the perfonal effects and profits of the fhop-keeper, which it is utterly impoffible for him to raise upon the confumer.' If this is found to be really the cafe, fuch a tax ought undoubtedly to be repealed.

Art. 23. A Second Letter from Mr. Pigott*, near Geneva, to the Right Hon. William Pitt, on the Neceffity and Advantage of a Taxation on the Public Funds. 4to. 6d. Ridgway. 1767 +. Mr. Pigott, who reproaches the Minifter with the inattention fhewn to his former epiftle, now proposes a reduction of ten per cent. at once upon the whole capital ftock of the nation; and then a deduction of two per cent. from the annual intereft of the remainder, for fifteen or twenty years, toward payment of the national debt, and to establish our public credit: remarking, alfo, the great numbers of English refugees in France and other parts, moft of whom he afferts to be driven away by the power of taxes, and violence of measures' (extravagance and fraud are overlooked), he recommends a tax on mortgages as fuperior to all other taxes,' which, he adds, would produce an immenfe revenue.' Private œconomy and prudence at home, would produce more public good than any fpeculations formed at Pent, near Geneva.

EAST INDIES.

Art. 24. A l'indication of the Conduct of the English Forces, employed in the late War, under the Command of Brigadier general Mathews, against the Nabob Tippoo Sultaun. 8vo. 15. Debrett. 1787.

This vindication relates to the forces which ferved under General Mathews. Thefe troops had the misfortune of being obliged to furrender to Tippoo Saib, who, regardless of the capitulation, treated them in the most treacherous and unmerciful manner. The General, and many of his Officers, were cruelly and bafely murdered, and the reft of the army were thrown into prifon, where they experienced almost every fpecies of hardship that tyranny and inhu manity could invent. To add, if poffible, to this dreadful calamity, even the reputation and honour of the fufferers was attacked at home, and reports were fpread, afferting, that General M. and his troops merited (in a great degree) their wretched fate, by the enormities which they had committed, and the cruelties they had exercised on the fubjects of Tippoo, before he had it in his power to put a stop to

For the first, fee Rev. vol. lxxvi. p. 438.

+ For 1787.

their depredations, and to wreak his vengeance on them, by the most fevere retaliation.

To clear the character of this unfortunate army, and to wipe off the reproaches that had been (according to the account here given) moft unjustly caft on them, is the defign of this little tract, which furnishes direct and (to us) fatisfactory anfwers to the principal charges which have been brought against both officers and men. We must admit the statement of the facts as here given, and which is fanctioned by the names of 53 of the furviving, Captains, Lieutenants, Enfigns, &c. whofe fignature is dated at Bombay, Feb. 15, 1787. We hope, and truft, for the honour of our gallant countrymen, that the facts here recited are strictly true, in every particular; in which cafe the vindication will be decifive and complete.

NEGROE SLAVERY.

Art. 25. Letters on the Slave Trade, first published in Wheeler's Manchester Chronicle, fince reprinted with Additions and Alterations. By Thomas Cooper, Efq. 8vo. No Price, nor Publisher .

The arguments for abolishing the flave-trade, have, as most of our readers must recollect, been frequently prefented to the public, by different authors. We have ftated thefe arguments in various articles which have appeared in our Journal, fo that a repetition of them, in this place, would be needlefs.

Mr. Cooper has, in thefe letters, abridged the writings of preceding authors on this fubject, and added many observations of his own. He has alfo anfwered, in a brief but in a very fatisfactory manner, the arguments, or rather the excufes, which flave dealers, and flave holders, have alleged, in reply to the various charges that have been brought against them.

Art. 26. A Letter to the Treasurer of the Society inftituted for effecting the Abolition of the Slave-trade. From the Rev. Robert Boucher Nickolls, Dean of Middleham. 12mo. 2d. Phillips. 1787. Among the many juft arguments brought by the Rev. Letterwriter, for the fuppreffion of our infernal trade in human flesh, he contends, that the natural increase of the negroes in warm climates, confequently in the Weft-India islands, and under good treatment, would be fully adequate to the cultivation of the plantations, &c. &c. This being admitted, no argument remains for the continuation of the traffic for African negroes but what will be fuggefted by the private intereft of a few individuals, chiefly on this fide of the Atlantic.' The Dean of Middleham, being himself a native of the Weft Indies, appears to write from a perfonal acquaintance with the nature of the diabolical bufinefs, which he has here very properly inveftigated, and, though in a fmall compafs, fully difplayed, to the conviction, as we apprehend, of every impartial reader.

There feems, and we are fincerely glad to fee it, a general difpofition, among all ranks of people in this country, to put an end to this cruel and infamous fpecies of merchandife. May its extinction speedily take place! When that happens, our worthy Author doubts not but that the condition of slavery in the islands will be meliorated;

* We believe the pamphlet is circulated gratis.
F

REV. Jan. 1788.

the

the negroes will be more tractable, more readily acquire the regard of thofe among whom they were born, and be more eafily converted to Chriftianity, because they might be more eafily informed; till, at length, by the mild and uniform operation of Chriftian principles, flavery itfelf may be abolished.

This little interefting tract is well written; and, for humanity's fake, we heartily recommend it to the public.

IRISH ROMAN CATHOLICS.

Art. 27. A Letter to Dr. James Butler, of Ireland, occafioned by his late Publication, entitled, "A Juftification of the Tenets of the Roman Catholic Religion." By Philemon. 8vo. 18. Riving

tons.

This is a loose attack on Dr. Butler, principally intended to impeach the temporal allegiance which accepts an ecclefiaftical title from a foreign Power, to exercife fpiritual jurifdiction in a Proteftant ftate. As for the rest of the Letter, Philemon inveighs, not in the most courteous ftyle, against priest-craft, clerical avarice, luxury, and ambition, in general; topics which do not peculiarly apply to Dr. Butler in particular, nor, directly, to the controverfy in which he is engaged. There may be many truths in this Letter, but they are random hot. Many Christians are eager for controverfy; but Chriftianity was never yet feen in company with difcord!

BIOGRAPHY.

Art. 28. My own Life. By C. Efte, Clerk. 8vo. 15. 6d. Egerton, &c. 1787.

The ingenious Author, who has been much diftinguished by his contributions to the public prints, taking offence at an erroneous account which lately appeared in one of the daily papers of his birth, parentage, and education, life, character, and behaviour,' has here given what we are to regard as his true perfonal history. Mr. Efte appears to poffefs confiderable talents, as a writer; but he has a very peculiar manner of difplaying them, his ftyle and diction being frequently fo involved and obfcure, that he who runs' will not always be able to read' and comprehend him, unless he stops to look more attentively at what is written. Yet, fometimes, his turn of expreffion is happy and elegant.

This Rev. Gentleman is, we fuppofe, the fame person who, in 1776, publifhed Tracts on Medical Subjects: See Review, vol. lv. p. 315. He was then of the Apothecary's Company.'

AMERICAN.

Art. 29. The prefent State of Maryland. By the Delegates of the People. 8vo. 15. Baltimore printed. London reprinted. Stockdale. 1787.

From the statement here fet forth, it appears, that in Maryland there is not a fufficient quantity of gold and filver for the medium of trade, and for the purpose of taxation. The Delegates therefore propofe a plan for remedying the evils under which the ftate labours : they recommend the emiffion of paper money, on the fecurity of landed property. Many arguments are brought in fupport of the project,

which was however rejected by the Senate. The pamphlet contains allo an account of the public debt of the ftate of Maryland, with the resources for discharging it, and for fupporting the ordinary government expences.

MATHEMATICS.

Art. 30. A Syftem of Naval Mathematics; or, Practical Rules of the
Art of Navigation. Intended for the Ufe of Schools, and Young
Mariners. By J. Bettefworth, Mafter of the Naval Academy at
Chelfea. 12mo. 5s. Boards. Wenman. 1787.

Elementary books feem to multiply without end. The reafon is, we fuppofe, that every teacher prefers his own method. Mr. Bettefworth's book may anfwer as an introduction to navigation, but the ftudent will find many practical rules wanting in it. The Appendix contains a neat method of approximating the latitude, from two obferved altitudes of the fun, and the time between the observations being given: but why is it neceffary to approximate, when the problem may be determinately folved?

POLICE.

Art. 31. The True Alarm! an Effay, fhewing the pernicious Influence
of Houses of Industry on the political Interests of this Country.
8vo. I s. 6d. Robinsons, &c. 1787.

The fubject of this tract is of great confequence. The Author argues, with much earnestnefs, and fome degree of warmth, against the inftitution of Houfes of Industry, for incorporated districts, or hundreds; which innovation, he apprehends, will greatly contribute not only toward depopulating the country, but to the fubduing the native, manly fpirit of the lower ranks of the people, who, poor as they may be, he obferves, are our great dependance for protection, fhould our national intereft or fafety be in danger, from foreign invafion, or domeftic broils, and who, poor as the lowest are, ought, not, furely, to have their condition rendered ftill worfe, by reducing them to a ftate of flavery *, in the fatal confequences of which, even • Of what moment,' their fuperiors might, in time, be involved." 6 can it poffibly be to a wretch who has not the lifays our Author, berty of walking out, beyond a certain boundary, that the kingdom is not threatened by a foreign enemy, or that it is not torn by intestine commotions? Nay, is it not more likely that he fhould rejoice at feeing the nation in confufion, fince, in that cafe, he might entertain a hope, that, in a general wreck and pillage, in which it was impoffible for him to fuftain a lofs, he might feize upon fomething by which he might benefit himself?"

We think there is fome fhrewdnefs in the foregoing obfervation. Our fenfible Author has also placed the fubject in feveral other very ftriking points of view, particularly with regard to the prejudice which the lower claffes of the people will receive from the inftitutions in queftion, in regard to their confinement, and confequent lofs of

* A circumftance highly aggravated, when induftrious people, known to earn by their labour a comfortable maintenance, are forced into these work-houfes; of which our Author gives a remarkable instance.

F 2

health,